Heard on the Beat / Tourism

Pond Will Live Up to Name With Water Sport Festival

August 01, 1996|MARLA DICKERSON | Marla Dickerson covers tourism for The Times. She can be reached at (714) 966-5670 and at marla.dickerson@latimes.com

If you've always wondered what the Pond of Anaheim would look like if you added water, don't miss Jet Jam '96.

The county's newest water sports festival, which will feature jet ski racing and other "extreme" sports, promises to be a challenging feat of engineering as well.

The Aug. 16-18 event will be held on what is now a dry flood control channel adjacent to the Pond. By the end of this week, Jet Jam organizers will begin constructing dams and pumping 15 million gallons of fresh water to create a pond for the Pond.

The really tough part was getting all the federal, state and local approvals for the project, said Ric Miller, president of United Sports Entertainment, which is promoting the event along with Odgen Facility Management and Atherton Communications.

Miller and company had to get the blessing of more than 40 government agencies to create their big splash.

"That in itself is a success," Miller said.

The event is expected to attract up to 75,000 visitors who are expected to pump an estimated $16.5 million into the local economy, he said.

Speaking of pumping, none of the water from the event will be wasted. Miller said that after the festivities, the water will be pumped to a water district holding pond and eventually returned to an area reservoir.